


Kylo's Moving Castle

by reyloise



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: But she doesn't know it yet, Eventual Kylo Ren/Rey, Eventual Relationships, F/M, Happy Ending, Howl's Moving Castle AU, Humor, If you want a dark fic, Kylo is a wizard, Rey is a witch, Reylo - Freeform, finnrose - Freeform, magic instead of the force, so shhh, this ain't it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2019-04-01
Packaged: 2019-08-11 09:31:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16472993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reyloise/pseuds/reyloise
Summary: On the planet Chandrila, Rey catches the attention of the Wizard of the Waste, Snoke. After having a curse put upon her, she travels to the only place she could get help from - a moving castle roaming the hills surrounding Hanna City. However, the castle is said to belong to the cold-hearted wizard Kylo Ren who, according to the stories, steals the hearts and souls of young girls who have the misfortune to meet him.A "Howl's Moving Castle" AU





	1. In Which Rey talks To Clothes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to HarpiaHarpyja for betaing this fic!

On the planet of Chandrila, everybody knows that it is rather unlucky to be the eldest of three children. You are normally the first to fail should each child go to seek their fortune. 

Rey’s parents, Jyn and Cassian Andor, were well-to-do and ran a clothes shop in Hanna City. Her birth parents had died when she was four years old and left her under the care of the couple who, unable to have children of their own, had already adopted twin girls, Rose and Paige Tico, both younger than Rey. Despite the couple having unwillingly had their estranged and troubled friends’ daughter dropped at their doorstep in the middle of the night, they treated all of their children with equal kindness. 

Rey, Rose and Paige were their parents’ pride and joy and were sent to the most prestigious school in the city. Upon finding out the common belief, Rey resigned herself to the idea that she would not be having a very riveting and exciting future, but she was happy enough to help look after her sisters and prepare them to pursue their fate when the time came. Since their adoptive parents were always busy in the shop, the responsibility fell on Rey to keep an eye on the twins. There was the occasional screaming match and hair pulling between the pair, so Rey would have to step in and separate them, usually having to mend their clothes afterwards.

Everyone in Hanna City began to talk of the Wizard of the Waste, Snoke, again. The rumour was that he had threatened the Queen after she ordered the royal wizard, Wizard Dameron, to go to Jakku and defeat Snoke. However, he had not only failed his mission to kill Snoke, it had resulted in his own death.

A few months later, a tall black castle arrived on the hills surrounding the city, ashy and dark smoke puffing from its towering chimneys. All the citizens were certain that Snoke had come to terrorise everyone as he had done once before. At night, the streets were empty and silent; nobody dared leave their houses in the dark. However, the castle didn’t move and Snoke didn’t appear. Nonetheless, everyone was cautious and worried, and there were even talks of asking Queen Apailana for help. 

Eventually everybody found out that the castle didn’t belong to Snoke but to a wizard by the name of Kylo Ren. To the people of Chandrila, Snoke was terrifying; however, to their despair, Wizard Ren didn’t seem to be any friendlier. Although he was never seen or encountered, there were stories that he collected the hearts of young girls and took away their souls. Some even said that he consumed the stolen hearts. No matter what story was heard, the common opinion shared was that Wizard Ren was a heartless and cold man and that no one was safe from him should they be caught, especially young girls. All the women in the city were warned to never go out by themselves, much to Rey and her sisters’ chagrin. 

✧ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✧

Sadly, the dangerous tales of Wizard Ren were far from their minds when their father unexpectedly died just as Rey turned 18 years old. They all soon realised that their school fees had left the family with quite the debt, so when all was taken care of and the funeral had finished, Jyn sat her daughters down to talk. 

“I’m sorry, but you two will have to leave school.” She looked at Paige and Rose sadly. “I’m trying my best to keep the business running at the same time as taking care of all of you, but I can’t do both.” Rose and Paige slumped in disappointment. First their father, now having to leave school early. What next? 

Jyn tried to fake a smile. “But don’t worry, I’ve sorted it all out. Paige-” 

“I want to keep learning.” Paige sat up straight and determined. 

“And you will,” Jyn replied. “I’ve organised for you to be an apprentice at the bakery in Senate Plaza. They’re known for treating all of their students well, and I’m sure you’ll be very happy there.” 

Paige smiled the kind of smile that you do when you get a gift that you didn’t want. Not wanting to seem ungrateful, she thanked her mother and said, “It’s lucky I like to bake.” 

Jyn turned to Rose, “I know that you’re the youngest and you're not allowed to work properly right now. You know my old friend Maz Kanata?” 

“Is she the one who is short, has the thick glasses and is a bit weird?” Rose fixed her dark brown eyes on her mother. “She’s a witch, isn’t she?” 

Jyn nodded. “With a lot of clients, and she’s a good woman. She’ll teach you all there is to know.” 

Rose gave in, “I guess so… she’s nice enough.” 

Rey knew that Jyn had set everything up as it was meant to be. Knowing what was to come next, she wasn’t at all surprised when her mother turned to her and said, “I know that it’s not what you want, but it seems right that being the eldest, you should inherit the shop. I would like to take you on to teach you. Is that alright?” She looked at her daughter anxiously. 

Accepting her fate to working in the shop, she gave a reluctant smile and nodded. 

Jyn sighed in relief. “All settled then!” 

****

****

✧ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✧

Rey helped Rose pack her clothes and the next day said goodbye as Rose headed off to where Maz Kanata resided. As Rose would have to pass over the hills where Kylo Ren’s castle sat, Jyn was understandably worried for her daughter, and so she sent her on her way with a close family friend. 

“She’ll be fine,” Paige said, her voice wavering. She refused to have anyone help her pack, and she marched off to the bakery. Later that night a message was sent to Jyn and Rey informing them that she was okay and that she was having fun. A message from Rose followed a week later confirming that she had arrived safely and that all was well, which put Jyn’s mind at ease. 

****

****

✧ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✧

Rey already knew the skill of sewing very well. From the moment she had arrived at the Andor household, she had been surrounded by yards and yards of fabrics of all kinds, from soft and silky to coarse and tough, from dark to bright and colourful. She knew every kind of material by the time she was six, and she could remember the names of all of the shop’s regulars. She knew all the tricks of the trade, and she could design and stitch the most elaborate patterns on a ball dress within three hours.

So Jyn taught her how to sell the clothes, how to interact with the customers, but in all honesty, Rey didn’t spend much time at the front of the shop. Instead, she spent most of her time in the workshed sewing and stitching and designing. She quite liked doing it—she was a creative spirit—but it was a lonely and sometimes arduous job. Everyone else in the workshop was at least 20 years older than her and still treated her as their boss’ daughter rather than a fellow worker. 

The rumours of Wizard Ren still buzzed throughout the city, especially in the workshop. The workers’ voices became whispers, as if at the mention of his name Kylo Ren would appear. The next month, the gossip turned from Wizard Ren and Snoke to all about Paige. The bakery had suddenly become extremely popular, very much so with the young gentlemen of Hanna City. Apparently there had been some marriage proposals already and much to Rey’s relief, all had been firmly turned down. 

Growing used to the isolation, Rey had taken to talking to the clothes instead. She began to flatter that clothes as a salesperson would customers. Complimenting the dresses, and shirts, and cloaks, she would say to a blue dress she held up in front of her, “You are going to get your life together and get rich.” She picked up some dark trousers, gold and red stripes down the sides—“You are going to be the luckiest thing in the galaxy.” She carried on in this fashion, usually giving extra compliments to the plainer and duller clothes. 

✧ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✧

The shop grew more popular and busy as the anniversary celebration drew nearer. Having to work in the shop and sew the rest of the time, she finally conceded that her life was officially boring. Her eyes grew red rimmed from working through the night and her hair was kept in three buns to keep it from falling in her eyes as she hunched over to work. She told herself to give herself a break to visit her sister, but she never did. She grew more and more lonely and with less people around, she became more tentative to do things other than sew. Realising that she was losing who she used to be, a strong and determined young woman, she made her mind up that when the shop closed for the anniversary, she would go to see Paige. After all, the bakery was just a few streets away, less than a five-minute walk. 

The anniversary day finally arrived and the festivities began. The streets were crowded with people celebrating. Jyn had to leave early so Rey remained behind to finish up. Her only comfort was that Paige would be working as well, the bakery being open until late that day. She watched people bustle by in their colourful clothes, people wandering the streets selling all kinds of foods and drinks. Even with the shop door closed she could feel the joy and exhilaration of the crowd. Putting on a grey shawl over her grey outfit, she stepped outside and into the street. 

For somebody who had spent the last few months in mostly quiet, the noise was overwhelming and the people too many. She felt as if she were a crotchety old woman instead of a 19-year-old girl. Trying to avoid being squashed and trodden on, she edged her way through the crowd, jostled by people’s elbows and shoulders. 

She reached Senate Plaza and it was even worse. Not only were there huge crowds, but now there were young men swaggering both cockily and drunkenly, whistling and catcalling the girls. All the girls weren’t surprised; this was just part of what happened every year at every anniversary. They weren’t going to let it stop them from having fun. Trying to walk as inconspicuously as possible to avoid being accosted, Rey bumped into a tall man dressed in black, sporting a cloak equally as dark as his attire. He looked at her in surprise as she tried to shrink away. 

“Don’t be afraid,” he said, not unkindly. “You don’t need to look so scared.” 

Rey felt embarrassed as she felt him looking at her and feeling sorry for her. She didn’t need his pity. Drawing herself up straight, she looked at him in the face. And it was a rather handsome and sophisticated one at that. He was well-built and well into his twenties, with raven hair and fascinating eyes that seemed dark one minute and lighter the next. Judging by the way he was dressed, he wasn’t too eager to be noticed either, but unfortunately with all the bright colours around them and his height, he stood out like a sore thumb. 

“No thank you.” she replied firmly, “I’m on my way to see my sister.” 

“Well, I’ll let you carry on your way then,” he said. 

Rey felt her face turn red and she dashed away. She pushed her way into the bakery and located Paige in the crowd of assistants behind the counter. 

Paige, looking slightly shorter than usual, noticed her older sister in the doorway, her face breaking into a smile, “Rey!” 

“Can we talk?” Rey yelled, being jostled about by the other customers. Paige nodded and asked a girl next to her to take over for her. Paige lifted the flap of the counter and let Rey through. 

Paige grabbed Rey and dragged her to sit. She rummaged around one of the bags holding an assortment of baked goods and handed her sister a delicious and warm iced bun, “You’re gonna need this.” 

Rey plonked down onto the chair and bit into the cake, breathing in it’s sweet and rich scent, “I’m so glad to see you, Paige.” 

Paige took an anxious breath, unsure of how her sister was going to react, “I’m so glad to see you too but I’m not Paige. It’s me, Rose.”


	2. Rey Goes Out To Seek Her Fortune

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to the wonderful HarpiaHarpyja for betaing!

Rey just stared at sister. She couldn’t really be Rose, could she? However, after a few moments, as the information sank in, Rey began to notice the slight differences. Her face did seem rounder like her twin’s, and Rey had seen earlier that this Paige was slightly shorter than usual. 

Rey nodded slowly. “I can see it now.” She looked around before she leant forward and whispered, “How did you manage to pull this off? Why did you do it?” 

Her sister shrugged. “Paige wanted to learn witchcraft and I didn’t.” 

Rey sat back in her chair, still trying to make sense of the situation. 

Paige, or rather Rose, looked at Rey nervously. “I was worried about you coming to see me; eventually you would have figured it out. I know you won’t tell anyone… will you?” 

Rey smiled and tapped the side of her nose, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Paige.” 

Rose gave a sigh of relief. “You wanted to know how we managed to do this without anyone noticing, well, it didn’t take us that long to sort it out. You remember when I came back because I was feeling homesick?” Rey nodded and so Rose continued, “I’d been studying her books of spells and came back here with the one we needed. Paige and I switched places just before I left to go back to Maz. Paige was terrified that Maz would know what we had done, but interestingly Paige seems to be fine there, so maybe Maz hasn’t noticed.” 

Rey bit into the cake and chewed thoughtfully before speaking. “I have to say, well done, this is some feat you’ve managed to pull off.” 

Rose beamed with pride before the smile dropped. “Why don’t you stand up to Mother? She’s been keeping you in the shop too long. You look terrible,” she said sadly, looking at her sisters pale face and weary eyes. “You’re not even wearing the clothes you used to. What’s up with the grey dress and shawl? You look like an old woman.” 

“Mind your tongue, young lady,” Rey joked, putting on her best old woman voice. Outwardly she was trying to not let her sister get upset, but inwardly she was screaming in agreement. Rose crossed her arms and looked at Rey expectantly. Rey sighed. “We’ve just been really busy. And it’s hard on her, with Father’s death and trying to sort out all the loans for the shop.” 

Rose frowned. “You don’t get enough credit for your skills. I saw what’s-her-name wearing the gorgeous blue dress you made and next thing I know, she’s run off and married some prince. And recently, I swear I saw a guy wearing those trousers you made has had nearly seven near death experiences and escaped without a even a scratch on him. That whole thing about the eldest never amounting to anything exciting in their life is rubbish. You just need to go out and seek it yourself. After all, technically Paige and I haven’t sought out ours. We were just handed it and swapped places.” 

Rey rolled her eyes and just as she was about to reply, a teenage boy no older than 16 years poked his head into the back room. “Paige, we need you.” He then quickly ducked away to help manage the crowd of customers all clambering to buy cakes and buns and pastries. Rey got up to leave, deep in thought about what Rose had said. Maybe she could chase her fate; it was worth a shot. Waving goodbye to her sister - who was now rushing around behind the counter - she took a breath and stepped into the flood of people. 

She walked back to the shop, not as anxious as before but still keeping an eye out for any men who planned to accost her. However, she didn’t notice the sinister figure lurking in the shadows, watching her closely as she made her way back. 

✧ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✧

Back in the workshop, Rey mulled over what her sister had said to her. She held up the luxurious and lavish burgundy coat she had spent the last couple of days working on and inspected it for any minute flaws. She frowned as she picked off bits of thread. 

“Maybe Rose is right. Maybe I need to get off my arse and do something with my life. Something that isn’t sewing.” She cocked her head. “What do you think?” she asked the coat. The garment remained silent. Rey rolled her eyes. “I need to stop talking to these bloody clothes.” ” 

✧ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✧

Business after the anniversary tended to be a lot slower, and with a surplus of clothing, Rey spent most of her time minding the front of the shop. It was nice spending most of her day not cooped up sewing, but with nothing to do and still no one to talk to apart from her mother, she felt antsy. Normally her hands would be busy, but currently, as she sat at the counter with nothing to do, all she could do was fidget and twiddle her thumbs. She had already rearranged and straightened up the clothes—so much so that Jyn had begun to lose track of where everything was. 

“Don’t move anything while I’m gone, Rey.” Jyn gave her daughter a look before she rushed to yet another meeting trying to sort out all of the finances. 

Rey sighed as once again, she was plunged into silence. She put her head down and groaned; the only thing breaking the silence were her fingers rhythmically tapping on the counter. Suddenly, the bell on the door jingled, signalling that a customer had entered the shop, and she immediately perked up. Finally she had something to do. She tried not to let a look of shock cross her face as she was greeted by the sight extremely wiry and pale man. 

She felt herself tense up, however. It wasn’t from his wrinkled and scarred face—a rather nightmarish and severe scar disfigured the top of his bald head—but her unease came from the atmosphere of evil he brought along with him. The stench of it filled the shop and Rey didn’t trust him one iota. But a customer was a customer, so she plastered a smile on her face and welcomed him. The man looked at her with a deep disdain and ignored her pleasantries. 

“Miss Andor,” he sniffed, “I’ve been hearing of your skills as a seamstress. In fact, I’ve been told that good things happen to those who’ve bought your clothes, and I know why.” 

Rey looked at him in surprise; that was not at all what she had been expecting. The man carried on, “You’re very bold trying to match the powers of the Wizard of the Waste, and I’ve come to put a stop to it. I’m already dealing with one nuisance, and another one is the last thing I need.” He carelessly waved his hand, and an odd feeling washed over Rey. 

Her eyes widened at the realisation. “You’re Snoke, aren’t you?”

Snoke sneered at her. “Indeed I am. I hope you’ve learnt your lesson to not meddle in a world where you don’t belong. If I have to see you again, and I should hope not, I won’t be as kind to you as I have just been. Oh, one more thing, you can’t tell anybody that you’re under a spell.” 

✧ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✧

Rey felt weak as she watched him swiftly exit the shop without a second glance at her. As she shakily walked back to her seat behind the counter, she stopped suddenly. What did he mean by she couldn’t tell anybody that she was under a spell? She didn’t feel any different, apart from the fact that her joints were mysteriously aching. She looked at her hands, but instead of seeing her smooth and youthful ones, she saw wrinkled and veiny hands. The hands of an old lady. 

She tentatively drew them to her face and felt skin to match. Funnily enough, she didn’t feel scared or anxious like she thought she ought to be;rather, she felt calm and collected. She shuffled to the bathroom out the back and saw the face of a ninety-year-old woman staring back at her. Her dark brown hair was now a silvery white, and her face had become shrivelled with age. Rey wasn't a particularly vain person, but she had to admit that she was slightly pleased that she didn't look like an ugly old hag and that she did still look rather robust and healthy for her age. 

She suddenly remembered her mother. 

_I can’t stay here,_ she thought, _she’d probably think that this was her fault_.

Gathering her wits, she decided that now was the time to set out to seek her fortune. Snoke had taken off about eight decades of her life, so it was now or never. Grabbing her shawl, she closed up the shop and headed home to grab some more things before she went on her way. 

✧ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✧

She scribbled down a note to her mother explaining that she was going to be gone for a while and apologising for not being able to help out with the shop. She did leave out the key reason—being that she had turned into an old lady—but even if she could have mentioned it, Snoke had stopped her from being able to even try. 

The only way to leave the city involved walking past the bakery where Rose worked. She desperately wanted to say goodbye to her sister, but she didn’t want to make her worried. She was too busy to have to deal with that. Watching Rose through the window, she sighed and then carried on on her way. 

✧ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✧

By the time she reached the outer reaches of the city, Rey’s joints were killing her, but she was just as stubborn and determined as ever and so she soldiered on, unwilling to waste any time. Her sight wasn’t as sharp as it used to be, but she was still able to take in the peace and beauty of the environment around her. Grabbing a long stick, she began her journey of hobbling up an unfortunately large hill. Not only was it now uncomfortable for her to climb up, but it was also home to the castle of Kylo Ren. 

“I’m an old woman now,” Rey muttered to herself, “he’s not going to be interested in me.” 

Convinced that her heart and soul were safe from the clutches of the evil wizard, she confidently marched onwards. Soon she was far too out of breath, and she reluctantly sat down to eat some of the bread she had packed to take with her. Being exposed to the air, it had become slightly stale, but stale plain bread was better than nothing. She rested for another half hour before she noticed that it was becoming twilight and the sunlight was slowly draining away, the moon starting its ascent and lighting up the land just enough for Rey to continue. However, even if there was still enough light, with her now weakened eyesight and uncertainty of what roamed the night, she didn’t want to risk getting caught out. Getting up with a groan, she packed away her food and shuffled up the hill. 

✧ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✧

Rey thanked her lucky stars for the light of the full moon, but stars could only provide so much luck as she wearily conceded that the only way she would be able to continue on her way would be to ask Kylo Ren if she could stay at his castle. She sighed and headed towards the ominous building. Much to Rey’s annoyance, it certainly lived up to its name of being a moving castle. The closer she came to it, the further away it went. 

Mustering up all of her strength, she doddered as fast as she could to it. As soon as she was close enough, she gave it a whack with her walking stick, a loud clang reverberating through the hills and valley. The castle screeched to a halt and, satisfied, she climbed up the stairs. It was a rather ugly building up close, and Rey wondered if it matched its inhabitant’s soul. Black, dreary and menacing. She knocked on the door and felt a wave of anxiety wash over her as she waited for the dreaded wizard to open it.


	3. A Bargain With A Fire Demon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, a huge shout out to HarpiaHarpyja!

The youthful face of a brown-skinned young man, around the same age Rey herself should have been, peered around the door. He frowned, but not in an unfriendly or grumpy manner. “Who are you?” 

Rey stood up straight, well, as straight as her body would allow her to. “My name is Rey and… and if you had any respect for your elders, you would open the door and let me in,” she replied in what she hoped was an authoritative tone. She didn’t feel afraid. She was certain that the young man in front of her couldn’t be the wizard; she couldn't feel even the slightest aura of maliciousness from him. 

“As much as I do respect my elders, I’m not going to let you in. I have no idea of who you are, where you’re from—”

“As I said, my name is Rey, I am…ninety years old,”—she gave a stab in the dark about her age—“I’m from Hanna City, and now will you let me in?”

The young man opened the door more, albeit rather reluctantly.

A voice yelled from behind, “What are you doing Finn?! Shut that door, you idiot! Don’t let the old bat in!” 

Was that Kylo Ren? Rey wondered, but by the time the voice had finished speaking, she had pushed past Finn and promptly sat down in an armchair in front of the fireplace. She looked around but saw no other figure who could have spoken. Brushing off her bewilderment over where the voice had come from, she settled into her seat, her weary body finally getting a proper rest.

The voice suddenly piped up grumpily, “Who in the world are you and why are you here?” 

She heard a cackle as she looked around wildly. Her mouth dropped open as she noticed a face in the blaze in front of her. The fire was somehow alive and talking. 

There was a slight smirk and the voice added in a hopeful tone, expecting her to leg it at any moment, “Before you even ask, I’m a fire demon.”

“A demon?!”

Finn rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry about Hux, he’s more of a nuisance than a demon.”

“Hey!” the fire demon retorted adamantly. “I’ll have you know that I am as evil and devilish as they come.”

“You liar, you’re more high maintenance than Kylo. Speaking of which, he should have been here over an hour ago. Where is he?” Finn said as he calmly poured a mysterious lime-green powder into a small cauldron of violet-coloured liquid bubbling away.

“How should I know?” 

“Well, you’re the one who’s—” But before Finn could finish, a tall figure opened the door. 

✧ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✧

Rey gasped as she recognised the familiar man entering the room.

She had met Wizard Ren at the anniversary celebration.

 _Thank goodness I didn’t keep talking to him_ , Rey thought to herself, _I don’t even want to think what could have happened to me._

Kylo stopped suddenly as he noticed Rey. He studied the old woman sitting in the armchair. “Have we met before?”

“No,” Rey replied abruptly. “Why?”

Kylo shrugged. “You just seem familiar.” He walked over to Finn and looked in his cauldron. “Looks good, well done.” 

✧ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✧

Rey was confused; he certainly didn’t look or behave how she expected an evil wizard to. She was expecting to see another Snoke, not an attractive twenty-something-year-old man. Kylo walked over to Rey. He was a lot taller than she remembered. Mind you, the last time she saw him she wasn’t stooped over with age. She recalled their first encounter. Whose heart had he stolen that day? Which poor girl had fallen victim to him? 

She raised herself from the chair and glared at him. “You’re a monster.”

“Yes, I am,” he replied seriously.

There was a pause before Hux and Finn laughed loudly.

“Kylo’s not a monster,” Finn said with a snort. “Sure, he’s a dickhead, but he is definitely not monster.”

“Yes, I am a monster. You’ve just forgotten how evil and heartless I am.” He glared at Finn, sending him into another fit of laughter. He looked helplessly at the fire demon. “Do I even have any authority in my own home?”

“Authority? You?” Hux chortled.

“You shut up.” He ran a hand through his raven hair and turned back to Rey with a weary sigh. “First of all, who are you? Secondly, why are you here?”

“I’m... I’m...” She tried her hardest to tell Kylo the truth, but Snoke certainly did a good job of making sure she couldn’t even insinuate she was under a spell. She gritted her teeth in frustration and lied.

“I’m your cleaning lady.” 

Kylo looked at Finn and raised his eyebrows. 

Finn put his hands up. “It wasn’t me. I didn’t call for her.”

“This could be a nice place if it was a bit cleaner…” said Rey.

“It is a nice place!” Kylo exclaimed adamantly. 

It wasn't.

Spiderwebs decorated every corner, dust coated every shelf, dirty dishes were piled up in the kitchen sink, and frankly, Rey didn't know what colour the rug on the floor was supposed to be.

If Rey was to convince Kylo to let her be the cleaning lady, she had to play the part. Hux looked at Rey suspiciously as she ran a finger over the mantlepiece. She drew it back and waved a very dusty finger in front of Kylo’s face. “Look at this! It’s filthy here.”

Kylo frowned. The feisty woman in front of him did not seem to be one to back down easily. “I have a horrible feeling that you’re not going to leave me alone. If I give you a one-month trial, when it’s over, will you go away and let me, my fire demon and my apprentice be?”

One month. Surely that would be enough time to figure out a way to get the wizard to break the spell. Rey nodded and stuck out a knobbly and age-spotted hand for him to shake. He clasped hers and quickly ducked away into another room. Rey gave a sigh of relief and sat back down in the armchair. 

✧ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✧

“I should have used the bathroom before he came back. Why do I never learn?”, Finn huffed

Seeing the look of confusion on Rey’s face, Finn explained, “He’s going to be in there for ages, and Hux has been pretty lazy today—”

“Hey! I work hard to keep this bloody building from falling apart and now you expect me to make sure there’s hot water every hour of the day,” Hux grumbled. “I refuse to be exploited.’ 

Finn rolled his eyes as he cleared off the workbench where the potion now sat. About to throw the apron over a cobweb-covered chair in the corner, he caught Rey’s sharp look and moved to hang it up nicely on a hook on the kitchen wall. Bidding Rey goodnight, he shuffled out of the room, acutely aware of her scrutinising look as he left. 

✧ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✧

Rey sat back in the chair and tried to relax. However, the fire demon’s beady eyes were unnerving, and she felt restless as he watched her. Rey folded her arms and glared at Hux. “What?”

“I know you’re under a spell.”


	4. The Craftiness Of A Demon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for how short this is! I hope it's okay  
> And thank you again HarpiaHarpyja :)

“What do you mean you know that I’m under a spell?” Rey demanded. Finally, things seemed to be looking up. Hux sighed condescendingly 

“It’s ridiculously noticeable. Finn hasn’t been trained long enough to be able to detect spells easily, but I don’t know why Kylo didn’t mention anything. You reek of black magic.” 

Rey wondered how she could word her next sentence without being held back by the curse from explaining. 

“Um… the Wizard of the Waste came to see me—” 

“Thought so.” Hux interrupted as he caught her meaning straight away, “So you’re not actually the ancient hag you appear to be? I can help reverse that.” 

Rey felt a smile come across her face, excitement filling her as she began to imagine becoming young again. She had been old for less than a day, but she was sick of having to put up with such a worn-out body. 

“But—” 

“But what? Why’s there a but? Don’t but me,” Rey said, her heart sinking. Never trust a demon, she thought furiously. 

“Let me finish, woman,” Hux retorted. “But I will only help you if you help me.” 

“Why should I trust you?” Her smile faded. “I’m not stupid.” 

“Because you might be the only one to help me break a contract I’m under,” Hux replied. “I want out of my contract, and you want to change back to whoever you used to be. But it will be difficult; I can detect two layers to the spell. The first is clearly from the Wizard of the Waste, but I don’t know where the second layer is coming from. I’m sure we’ll be done by the end of your month’s trial, but only if you’re willing to commit. A half-arsed job won’t do anything useful at this rate. Do we have a deal?” 

✧ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✧

If there was one thing Rey knew about demons, it was to never ever enter a bargain with them. Avoid it if you could. You never knew what would happen. But desperate times called for desperate measures. Hux sounded sincere, but his face only showed cunning. Maybe he was just as desperate as she, and she conceded that he was probably the only way she could have the curse broken. She groaned, and Hux looked pleased 

“Fine. I can’t believe I’m doing this.” 

“Neither can I,” Hux replied cheerfully, which didn’t remotely offer Rey any source of comfort. Neither Rey nor the fire demon said anything, Rey contemplating what she had just done and Hux with an unsettling look of glee on his face. Maybe it was just because he had a devious air about him. Rey shifted in her chair. “So how do I end your deal with Kylo then?” 

“I can’t tell you that.” 

“Why not?” Rey demanded. Was he taking any of this seriously? 

Hux looked at Rey solemnly. “It’s part of the bargain. Neither Kylo nor myself can say what the main clause is.” 

“Rubbish!” 

“Why would I lie to you about that? Do you think I want to be stuck here in this hearth? As long as Kylo and I have a contract, the furthest I can go from this bloody spot is probably one foot. I keep this piece of junk from falling apart.” Hux spat, small embers falling off the hearth as he ranted passionately. “I have to run this tip. I probably use the most magic out of everyone here.” 

He did have a point. Rey didn’t know anyone who would want to have a life like that. Guilt and pity churned in her stomach. 

“I’m sorry to hear that. I know how that feels in a way, to be cooped up and trapped.” 

“Whatever, the point is that we both need to break this contract before I can help you.” 

“What?!” Rey fumed. She’d been tricked. He’d never mentioned that she had to help him first. He’d somehow gained her trust and then shattered it in a span of less than five minutes. Rey was more angry at herself than at Hux; she only had herself to blame. Fire demons were guileful and sly. Old habits died hard, and craftiness was ingrained into a demon’s nature. 

“I probably should have mentioned that,” Hux said. “Yeah, no kidding.” Rey glared at him, and before she could say any more, Finn poked his head into the room. 

“Um, you can stay in my room if you want. I’ll have to tidy it first, but you’ll have to stay down here for the night if that’s okay,” he said awkwardly. Rey smiled for the first time since she’d arrived. 

“Thank you,” Rey said gratefully. “I’ll be fine down here.” 

Her body would most definitely not be fine, but she wanted to talk to Hux as often as possible without Kylo or Finn listening. 

✧ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✧

The weariness finally caught up with Rey and hit her with full force. The chair was comfy, the warmth of the fire demon soothed her aching joints and she could hear him quietly singing to himself an unfamiliar song. It was in a strange language she’d never heard before, but she picked up what she thought was the word “saucepan” every now and then. 

Soon she felt herself drifting off to sleep—but just before she was out cold, she felt someone gently put a pillow behind her head and tuck a lap blanket over her legs before slipping away silently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hux is singing a Welsh folk song called Sosban Fach  
> https://lyricstranslate.com/en/sosban-fach-little-saucepan.html  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ICXrhPSxIM


	5. Rey Gets Her First Clue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A massive thank you to HarpiaHarpyja for their amazing betaing!

Despite being half asleep, Rey could just feel Hux’s beady eyes on her. Opening her eyes blearily, she frowned at him. “What?”

Hux looked offended at her abrupt tone. 

“I was just trying to figure out the bloody spell, there’s no need to be so rude,” he said scornfully. 

“She’s an old woman, she’s allowed to be as grumpy as she wants to be,” Rey heard Finn say from the kitchen. 

Rey grinned at the look of annoyance on Hux’s face. Silence fell over the room, with the exception of worrisome bangs occuring every so often as Finn worked on the spell Kylo had set him, and the whining crackle of the fire demon’s flames. Suddenly, Rey’s stomach rumbled, and it was only then that she realised how hungry she actually was. 

She slowly got to her feet, joints aching in protest, and hobbled over to the kitchen. She rummaged around before turning to Finn for help after a few unsuccessful minutes. 

“I need some eggs and bacon, and where’s the cleanest pan you have?” 

Finn shrugged. “I dunno, but you wouldn't be able to cook anyway. Hux is the only way we can get a warm meal, and he doesn’t do anything for anyone unless Kylo tells him to.” 

“Where is Kylo?” 

“Probably spending the little money we have on stupid things.” 

“That’s not fair!” 

“No it’s not,” Finn replied. Wanting to get back to his task, he managed to find the things Rey was looking for and then sent her back to Hux. That would keep her out of the way for a long time. 

Rey wielded the frypan like a weapon as she approached the fire demon. 

“Fat chance,” Hux said with a sneer. 

Rey gave a snort “Bend your head. Is that head? Or is it your body too? Are you just a head?” 

“I’m not going to let you bully me into being your slave.” 

Rey smiled sweetly. “You’re not going to be my slave. Now bend your head before I make you.” 

“Shan’t” 

“Bend your head.” 

“No.” 

“You little—” Rey paused. “Well, I suppose if you don’t cooperate, I’ll have to tell Kylo about our little deal.” 

Hux’s eyes narrowed. “You wouldn’t.” 

Rey raised an eyebrow. “Try me.” 

Hux maintained a disdainful facade, but Rey could hear the uncertainty in his voice. He glared at Rey and cursed before spitting at Finn. 

“You see what happens when you let random people into the castle! They upset the balance, and now everything is going to descend into madness and chaos! Just you wait and see!” 

“Stop being a drama queen,” Rey said so sternly that Hux shut up in surprise. He reluctantly bent his face forward so that she could place the pan atop of him. 

“I hope your bacon burns,” she heard him mutter bitterly. 

✧ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✧

She had nearly finished cooking when Kylo swept dramatically into the room. Finn rolled his eyes at his teacher’s antics and carried on with his spell. Kylo stopped in surprise behind Rey. She felt self-conscious as he watched her making breakfast. 

“Can I help you?” 

Kylo shook his head. “I’m just impressed at the fact you’ve managed to get Hux to do what you want him to do.” 

“She bullied me,” Hux whinged. 

✧ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✧

Their breakfast wasn’t bad, considering the burnt state of the bottom of the fry pan. Thanking her, Kylo got up and made his way to a mysterious door on the far wall. Turning a dial, he stopped and looked at Finn and Rey. 

“Don’t follow me,” he said seriously. Once the door had closed behind him, Rey moved to look more closely at the dial. There were coloured paint blobs at different points around it; the dial currently pointed at a black blob. 

“The door leads to different places,” Finn explained. “We can use any of the colours apart from the black one. He won’t explain why, but I wouldn’t want to cross him if I were you, so just stay away from it.” 

Unfortunately, that only made her more curious. She sighed and decided to start cleaning to get her mind off it. She was their cleaning lady after all, and it was about time she got to work. 

✧ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✧

Looking around the room, she didn’t know where to start. It was a complete tip. Finn was clearing up, having given up on the spell, and moved out the way for her as she bustled into the kitchen to start on the dishes. She grimaced at the state of them and, after instructing Hux to make the water hot, filled the sink. Squirting a very generous and much-needed amount of washing-up liquid, she rolled up her sleeves and got scrubbing. By the time all the washing up had been done, she felt like screaming in frustration. Her hands ached from the sheer amount of force she had to use to scrape off the filth from the dishes. Finn gave her an apologetic look and approached her to help clear away everything. 

Shooing Finn away from helping her with anything else, Rey managed to find a broom and began the arduous task of ridding the dust and cobwebs. She was just about to brush away the final cobweb she could find when Kylo burst into the room. 

“Leave them alone!” he exclaimed on the sight of Rey struggling to reach it. “What have the spiders ever done to you?” 

He was soaking wet and had a grumpy disposition. Humouring him to prevent any trouble, Rey frowned and lowered the broom. Opening the castle door, she brushed the dust from the floor outside. 

“Where’s the rest of the castle? I’ve only cleaned here, the bathroom and Finn’s room. I was about to clean yours, but Finn stopped me.” 

Hux, Kylo and Finn looked at each other. “This is it,” they said in unison 

‘What!? But the castle is huge,” Rey said. 

“It’s really just the inside of Kylo’s house in Naboo,” Finn told Rey. 

“Then why is it a castle on the outside?” 

“Because I felt like making it look that way,” Kylo said. 

“Yeah, and I’m the one that has to keep it together,” Hux added. 

“So you’ve said,” Rey replied dryly. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay in my room?” Finn piped up. “I’m happy to stay down here.” 

“No, but thank you.” Rey smiled at him. 

Kylo looked annoyed at the fact that Rey was going to sleep in a chair for the duration of her stay. 

“Wait here.” He rushed back through the door with the dial. 

An hour later he returned carrying a mattress and bedding with him. Plonking them down ungracefully on the floor, he waited for Rey’s reaction. 

“Thanks,” she said gratefully. “But you didn’t need to do that.” 

Kylo ignored her as he set up the makeshift bed. 

✧ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✧

Throughout the day Rey noticed Kylo studying her as if she were a 1000-piece puzzle. It unnerved her. His eyes weren’t like normal eyes. They were glassy and somehow seemed empty of emotions. His face was an open book, but his eyes only showed a blank stare, and it unsettled her. And she only felt more unsettled at the prospect of being alone with him after Finn had declared that he was going to go to Hanna City for a couple of hours. Kylo hadn’t shown any malice towards her, but she still didn’t know for certain whether he stole girls’ hearts and souls or not. She felt slightly foolish for still thinking it plausible; after all, she hadn’t seen any evidence whatsoever as she cleaned the castle from top to bottom. 

“I’ll be fine,” she told herself as she headed up the stairs. “I’m an old lady, he’s not interested in my heart or soul.” 

✧ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✧

She headed towards his bedroom, both determined to disprove what she hoped was untrue and trembling at the thought of what was in there. The door was constantly closed, so there must have been something he didn’t want her to see. She opened the door, but she couldn’t see into the room very well. With both failing eyesight and the light in the room turned off, she could hardly make out what could possibly be hiding in there. What confused her, even more, was that for some reason, despite it being a clear and sunny day outside, the window in his room showed it to be nighttime. As she moved closer, Kylo suddenly appeared in front of her, blocking her way and view. 

“If you don’t mind, I’d rather you not clean my bedroom,” he said firmly. 

Rey crossed her arms. “I’m supposed to clean.” 

“It’s my room.” 

“Well, it’s my job.” 

“Clean somewhere else then.” 

“No.” 

“Yes.” 

Rey could sense their conversation descending into a childish argument. 

“Just answer me one question.” She drew a nervous breath before asking, “Do you keep your victims’ remains in there?” 

Kylo frowned. “Come again?” 

“Do you— Do you keep all the hearts in—” 

However, before Rey could finish her question, Kylo burst out laughing. She could even hear Hux’s cackling from the hearth. Red-faced, she stormed back downstairs with Kylo trailing behind her. 

“Don’t laugh at me,” she snapped. 

The wizard sobered up. “I’m not laughing at you, I’m just curious as to where you got the idea that—” 

“That’s what everyone in Hanna City says about you. That you kidnap and steal young girls’ hearts and souls,” Rey said defensively. 

“Oh, right, about that, it’s not true. None of what you’ve heard is true. I just get Finn to come up with rumours that’ll blacken my name.” 

“Why?” 

“To keep people away. I don’t like being pinned down,” Kylo shrugged. “I used to have a lot of commitment to things, but they never worked out for me. Especially when I put my heart on the line that last time . . . but I don’t want to go into details.” He threw Hux a look. 

“You’re a slither-outer!” Rey exclaimed. 

Kylo rolled his eyes and started to walk away as he put on his cape. “Call me whatever you want, but nothing can get me to pledge myself to any cause or person.” He turned to face Rey before he opened the front door. “I’m off. I’ll see you two later.” 

“When will you be back?” Rey demanded as she followed in hot pursuit. Kylo groaned in frustration at her peppering him with questions. 

“I don’t know. Like I said, I don’t like committing to anything, so don’t wait up for me.” 

As soon as he’d disappeared from sight, Rey heard Hux say, “That was a clue.”


	6. In which Rey attacks Finn with a Stick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry that I haven't updated for some time. I've had some pretty bad writer's block so please excuse the writing in this chapter.  
> Much obliged :)

Finn arrived back with a silly grin on his face. Rey knew that look. She’d seen it on her sisters’ faces whenever they saw photos of a celebrity crush. Already feeling maternal affections towards him, she couldn’t help but want to know every little detail. 

Who was it? Had he known them long? How old were they? How did he meet them? Did they come from a respectable family? 

_Woah_ , Rey thought, _where did that last one come from?! It’s only a day and I’m already thinking like an old woman._

She pulled Finn to sit down next to her at the table and leant forward on her bony elbows, keen to hear everything. 

“So....” she said slowly. “Who’s on your mind?”

Finn blushed and looked slightly self conscious. “She’s just someone I met in the city.”

“What’s her name?” Rey asked so quickly she nearly interrupted him. She couldn’t help but feel nosy. She hadn’t heard anything exciting for goodness knew how long, and now that she finally had the chance to hear something good she was going to get as much information as she could. 

“She works in a bakery. Her name’s Paige.”

Rey froze. Paige? Surely he couldn’t be talking about her Rose, could he? Feeling an overwhelming sense of protectiveness for her younger sister she demanded, “What’s her last name?” 

Finn looked slightly taken aback at her sudden change in tone. “It’s Tico. Why?”

✧ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✧

Kylo returned to a hostile household that night. At least hostile on Rey’s part, and more pleading on Finn’s. Hux seemed to be taking delight in the commotion that had happened earlier with Rey chasing (or rather hobbling as fast as she could) after the apprentice with her walking stick, determined to give him a good whack over the head. Giving up after the third lap of the room, Rey sat down in her chair and refused to look at him. Finn tried to make peace with the older woman, but she wouldn’t budge on her protectiveness, no matter how many cups of tea he made her. Hux was only too pleased to take advantage of this and began to goad Rey with whispers of, “What do you think he’s doing with her? Is it just innocent hand holding or—” 

“SHUT UP!” Rey bellowed just as Kylo entered the castle. 

He looked at Hux wearily. “What did you do this time?” 

“It wasn’t me!” Hux replied indignantly. “It was Finn.” 

Both parties broke out in a fast explanation of what had happened, with Rey, despite being the eldest, acting the most stubborn and immature. Unable to understand the rushed babble, Kylo sighed. He was not expecting to play parent between a ninety-something-year-old woman and a teenager. 

“One at a time,” he said calmly. “Finn, what happened.” 

Rey began to protest, but Kylo sent her a look that made her shut her mouth promptly. 

“Well, Rey wanted to know who I went to see in Hanna City.” Finn glanced at Rey nervously. “I told her that I saw a girl called Paige. She asked what her last name was, I told her it was Tico, and then next thing I know she’s chasing me around the room trying to hit me with her walking stick.” 

“Right, Rey, why did you try to hit Finn with your walking stick?” 

Rey crossed her arms defensively. “He can’t see Ro- Paige.” 

“Why not?” 

“Because she’s my sister!” 

“Sister?!” Finn gaped. 

“Granddaughter. . .” Rey quickly said. 

“Is she your sister, or is she your granddaughter?” 

“She’s my sister’s granddaughter,” Rey replied hopelessly. Kylo looked sceptical at her answer but didn’t press any further. 

✧ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✧

Rey went to bed angry that night. Kylo gave Finn a sympathetic look as he caught sight of Rey glaring ferociously at his apprentice. Finn went away to his room sadly, and Kylo headed up to his own, leaving Rey alone with her thoughts and the fire demon resting in the fireplace. She lay down on her bed and watched Hux flickering away gently and quietly singing the saucepan song under his breath as he reached for a nearby log. Her anger dissipated as she mulled over what had transpired that evening. 

Rose was her baby sister, but she wasn’t stupid. After all, she and Paige had managed to switch places without anyone noticing, and she’d always been very intelligent and a good judge of character. Finn didn’t seem like someone with ill intentions. He was affable and a people pleaser; he certainly didn’t appear to be the sort of person who would go out of their way to ruin someone’s day. He’d spent hours trying to get in her good books again, and reluctantly she conceded that she couldn’t, well, she shouldn’t, try to keep protecting Rose when she was more than capable of handling life on her own. 

✧ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✧

Morning came with Kylo still watching her with a slightly bemused look on his face and Finn arriving in the kitchen with an anxious expression. Rey took a deep breath. 

“Finn,” she began, “I’d like to apologise for how I acted yesterday.” 

Finn frowned and then grinned when he realised what she was saying. “So you don’t mind that I’m seeing Paige?” 

Rey clenched her jaw. “Oh, I do mind, but I shouldn’t stop you two from doing what makes you happy.” 

Finn suddenly wrapped his arms around her frail and bony body, and she froze in surprise at the unexpected hug. She patted him on the back fondly. “Alright, alright,” she grumbled half-heartedly. Finn pulled back, and Rey struggled to keep a straight face upon seeing how happy he looked. 

“But if you break her heart or make her upset in any way, I will cut you,” she threatened darkly. 

Finn, having encountered the wrath of Rey, didn’t doubt her following through on her warning so he nodded gravely. “Yes, ma’am.”


End file.
